Uninhibited Podcast Shownotes

Episode 1, Season 2: Terralyn, Breast Cancer Survivor

Welcome to Uninhibited, a podcast with the mission to discuss taboo, multicultural, multi-generational, and multi-layered topics that matter to women. 

Our host, Dr. Makunda Abdul Mbacke, is an Ivy-League trained OBGYN, practicing medicine in rural America. She is a mother, career professional, part of Generation X, and so much more.

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1:00 - Today’s guest is Ms. Terralyn “Terri” House, a breast cancer survivor with unique experiences. She will walk us through what it was like receiving her diagnosis, going through treatment, and life after cancer. 

1:38 - Terri shares some background about who she is and the start of her breast cancer journey when she received her diagnosis in 2010. Through a self-examination, Terri discovered a lump on her breast and she took the initiative to get it checked by her doctor the next day. However, after a mammogram, she was informed that the lump was just a cyst. 

4:12 - At that time, Terri was also under the care of Dr. Makunda. Since there was no follow up plan with her primary care doctor, Terri asked if Dr. Makunda would remove the cyst at their next examination. The lump was actually too dense to remove in the office, and further examination led Dr. Makunda requesting a second mammogram for Terri. Terri approached this second mammogram with the determination that some sort of action would result from her visit. 

7:55 - For the second mammogram, Terri informed her healthcare providers that she wanted to speak with the doctor to review her results and options to either remove or biopsy the lump. They chose to biopsy, and two days later, Terri found out that she had breast cancer.

9:18 - Terri’s first thought was of survival, which also meant making the decision to leave her more rural area for somewhere better equipped for her care. She began the process of researching facilities and contacting practitioners straight away. On a Saturday, she received a call from a nurse at Duke, reassuring Terri that they had received her message and would reach out on Monday. The fact that they cared enough about her wellbeing to call on a weekend made Terri certain she was choosing the right care by choosing Duke.

13:10 - Terri shares some details about the level of care that she received from Duke, which felt like a more holistic approach. This included shrinking and removing the lump, and an oral form of chemotherapy. Terri also credits her good health going into her cancer experience, which allowed doctors to try more with her treatments because her body and mindset were strong and healthy. 

17:25 - She started with chemotherapy every two weeks until the lump shrunk enough to allow for a less-invasive surgery. After the removal, Terri started radiation treatments once per week at her local hospital. From there, she moved on to the oral form of chemotherapy. 

18:55 - After backing off from the chemo treatments and the side effects lessened, Terri was released to the Survivor’s Clinic a full year early. She attends the Clinic once a year for a full review - bloodwork, a mammogram - to ensure that she remains cancer free!

21:02 - Dr. Makunda asks Terri what the important lessons she wants to share with others after going through this experience. Terri found it was very important for her to inform the attending medical students at Duke Hospital about “listening to your patient.” Terri also voiced her concerns and found practitioners, like Dr. Makunda, who would take her seriously. Lastly, she feels it is paramount that patients are partners and active participants in their treatment plans.

22:45 - Terri shares some about the diet she maintained before cancer and during treatment. For her, diet played an important role, eating living foods that gave her body nutrients and strength. She found she never lost her appetite during her chemo treatments, and she stuck to a healthy diet to help her body fight.

27:10 - “Just listen to your body, absolutely. Women, listen to your body!” - Terralyn House

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Breast Cancer Resources:

• Duke Health Cancer Center 
• How to Conduct a Breast Self-Exam
• A breast examination should be a routine part of your annual well-woman exam. If you are not sure if this is being conducted, remember you can be your own advocate and ask a nurse or doctor the next time you go!
• Remember, you can Google “free cancer screenings” to see what offerings are provided around your local area!

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